Liquid meter



April 20, 1937. cHmc 2,073,057

' LIQUID METER Filed Nov. 11, 1935 TTORNEYS Patented Apr. 20, 1937UNITED stares PATENT OFFIQE LIQUID METER Axente Chirca, Cleveland, OhioApplication November 11, 1935, Serial No. 49,240

3 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in liquid meters, particularlymeters for the measurement of liquids having a tendency to foam, as forinstance beer.

One of the objects of the invention is the provision of a meter soconstructed as to accurately measure the flow of a liquid withoutmaterially agitating it.

Another object is the provision of an air pocket in a meter designed tomeasure liquid fed under pressure in order that a cushioning action maybe provided, tending to eliminate pulsation.

Another object is the provision of a meter of the kind stated whereinappreciable clearance is provided between the casing and that portion ofeach vane which extends into the air pocket, thereby permitting freemovement of the rotor through the air pocket and preventing thetransference of air from the pocket down into the liquid in the metercasing, which would tend to mix air with liquid and cause churning andfoaming.

Other objects and features of novelty will appear as I proceed with thedescription of that embodiment of the invention which, for the purposesof the present application I have illustrated in the accompanyingdrawing, in which Fig. l is a plan view of a meter embodying theinvention, the casing of the meter being shown in horizontal sectioncorresponding substantially to the line ll of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the meter. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectionalView taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view on a smaller scale, showing therotor casing and the rotor therein, the view being taken substantiallyon the line l-i of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a detail sectional View showing the packing around the rotorshaft to prevent the leakage of liquid into the register housing.

In the drawing I have shown at it a casing so formed as to provide acylindrical chamber H which is closed on one side by a removable diski2, the joint being sealed by a suitable gasket it.

Near the bottom of the casing there is an integral boss i t in which isformed an approximately tangential intake port I5, this boss beingprovided with pipe threads I6 for the reception of a pipe (not shown)leading to a barrel or other container in which the liquid to bemeasured is stored, as for instance a beer keg. As ordinarily arranged,the beer in the keg is placed under a suitable air pressure of ten tofifteen pounds.

Near the top of the casing, approximately from the intake port [5, thereis a tangential exit port ll which takes a vertical direction, beingformed in a boss l8 which is threaded at E9 to receive a connection (notshown) leading to a delivery valve or spigot. The highest point ll 5 ofthe intersection of port I! with the peripheral wall of chamber H is ata level which is substantially beneath the top of the chamber l8,whereby an air pocket 20 is formed above the level of the liquid in thecasing. 10

On the forward side of casing 10, at the center thereof, there is anintegral boss 2i with a cylindrical pocket 22 therein concentric with abearing opening 24. Within the pocket I mount packing 25 which iscompressed and held by a packing lo gland 26, the latter merging into aplate or disk 21.

A central shaft 28 extends through the packing gland 26 and has bearingtherein and in the bearing opening 24 of easing I0. On the shaft 28Within casing it there is fixed a rotor com- 20 prising a hub 29 and aseries of evenly spaced vanes 30 which are preferably formed in onepiece with the hub. These vanes are concavo-convex,

and so arranged that their convex sides are presented to the flow ofliquid entering the casing 25 from the port l5. The end of each vane isformed with a foot which is turned toward the convex side of the vaneand preferably conforms approximately with the curvature of the casing.

The rotor does not have a close fit in the casing ill. There isclearance at all points between the casing and the rotor so as toprevent friction, and at the outer ends of the vanes particularly. Theclearance either between the ends of the vanes and the periphery of thecasing or between the sides of the vanes and the side walls of theeasing, or both, is such that the movement of the vanes through the airpocket 20 does not force air into the liquid. This is an importantfeature of the invention, because if this clearance were 40 notsufficient and air were thus mixed with the liquid and churned into itby the rotation of the vanes, there would be bubbling and foaming of theliquid, particularly in the case of beer for which the present inventionis intended primarily. 45

On the forward side of casing I0 I form an annular rabbet 3| whichreceives a sheet metal cylindrical housing 32 that is secured to thecasing it! by screws 33. A glass 34 closes the forward end of the casing32. Within this housing the 50 register mechanism of the meter islocated. While the present invention is not concerned with the detailsof this mechanism, it may be in order to briefly describe the particularmechanism herein illustrated. 55

Upon the forward end of the central boss 2| there is supported acircular disk or plate 35, this disk being held in position by screws 36projected through holes in the plate 21 and threaded into tapped holesin the boss. The shaft 28 extends forwardly beyond the plate 2'! andcarries on its extremity a pinion 31 which meshes with a gear 38 that ismounted upon a shaft 39. This shaft has bearing at one end in the disk35 and at the other end in a bracket 40 which is mounted upon the disk.Also mounted upon the shaft 39 there is a pinion ll which meshes with agear 42 mounted on a shaft 13, which is also supported in bearings inthe bracket 40 and disk 35.

The shaft 53 extends rearwardly beyond the disk 35, and behind that diskit carries a gear dd. This gear meshes with a wide pinion 5 mounted upona shaft which has bearing partly in the disk 35 and partly in a secondbracket 4?;

rat is attached to the rear side of the disk. This pinion also mesheswith a gear 4'! which is supported upon a shaft 38 mounted in the disk35 and bracket 46, and extending forwardly through the disk where itcarries an indicating hand it. Moving with the gear 41 there is a diskwith a. single tooth which engages once for each revolution with a starwheel 5| mounted on a shaft 52 which extends forwardly through the disk35, where it carries an indicating hand 53. On the wheel 5i there is apin 5 that engages once for each revolution of the wheel with one of theteeth of a further gear or star wheel 55 that is mounted on a shaft 56which extends forwardly through the disk 35 and there carries anindicating hand 51. Three gauge dials 58, 59 and 6B are engraved on theface of disk 35 concentric with the hands 49, 53 and 51, respectively,these dials reading preferably in liquid ounces, gallons andhalf-barrels.

It will be apparent that as the shaft 28 is turned by the fiow of liquidthrough the casing it from the intake port Hi to the discharge port ii,the motion is transmitted by way of pinion 3?, gear 38, and pinion e: togear A2, and then through shaft 43 togear 45 and by way of pinion 55 andgear 41 to shaft Q8 carrying the hand by means of which fluid ounces areregistered. For each complete rotation of the shaft 48 the star wheel 5!is advanced one tooth to register an additional gallon, and is held inthat position by a leaf spring 6! attached to a post 62 which isanchored in the disk 35. When the star wheel 5! makes a completerevolution the pin lid advances wheel 55 one tooth, causing indicatinghand 51 to register an additional halfbarrel. The wheel 55 is heldagainst movement at other times by another leaf spring 63 mount-- ed ina post 6 5 anchored in the disk 35.

In the operation of the meter, when pressure the delivery end of theline is relieved by the opening of the faucet, flow of liquid startsthrough the casing ID in a circular anti-clockwise direction. The Vanes39 are very light in weight and move easily with the liquid. As eachvane passes the discharge port a quantity of liquid behind it flowsthrough that port, but sufficient liquid remains in the casing at alltimes to maintain therein a constant liquid level determined by theheight of the point I'I. As the vanes pass the port ll there is sometendency toward interruption of liquid flow, in other words sometendency to produce pulsations in the flow, but this is overcome to aconsiderable extent by the air in air pocket 21!. Substantial clearancebeing maintained between the ends of the vanes and the walls andperiphery of the casing, the movement of the outer ends of the vanesthrough the pocket 20 does not force any air out of that pocket into thebody of liquid.

The meter therefore does not perceptibly agitate the liquid, and thereis no formation of foam. Hence the operation of the meter is accurateeven when liquids like beer are measured.

The gears 31, 38, 41 and 42, and the bracket 40 are preferablyconcealed, and the concealment may be effected by the use of a metallicscreen 65 placed preferably behind the glass 34.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a liquid meter, a cylindrical chamber arranged with its axishorizontal, a rotor with outwardly extending vanes fixedly mountedthere-.

on, chamber having an approximately tangential inlet port near thebottom thereof, and having an exit port positioned above the said axisand below the top of the chamber, whereby an air pocket is formed in thetop of the chamber, said vanes being convex on their sides away from thedirection of rotation of the rotor, and having feet at their outer endsextending rearwardly with respect to the direction of rotation, therebeing a substantial clearance between the vanes and the chamber wall atsaid air pocket.

2. In a liquid meter, a cylindrical chamber arranged with its axishorizontal, a rotor mounted therein having vanes that are convex ontheir rear sides, said vanes being rigidly mounted on the rotor, saidchamber having a horizontal approximately tangential inlet port at thebottom thereof to one side of the rotor axis arranged to deliver liquidagainst the said convex rear sides of the vanes, and said chamber havinga vertical outlet slightly below the top thereof on the opposite side ofthe rotor axis.

3. In a liquid meter, a cylindrical chamber arranged with its axishorizontal, a rotor with outwardly extending vanes rigidly mountedtherein, said chamber having an approximately tangential inlet port nearthe bottom thereof, and an exit port with a vertically disposed portionin communication with said chamber, said port being positioned above theaxis of rotation of said rotor and below the top thereof, whereby an airpocket is formed in the top of the chamber, said chamber and vanes beingso proportioned as to leave an appreciable clearance between the chamberand those portions of the vanes which pass through the air pocket.

AXENTE CHIRCA.

